The parents of James Foley, one of the journalists executed on video by ISIS, are absolutely enraged over a Republican ad politicizing the death of their son. That event, coupled with the viral story that followed, is more than any parent should have to bear, but that’s not quite enough for Republicans. The political action committee Secure America Now recently released a campaign ad attacking Democrats in key Senate races for not being strong enough on foreign policy. One such ad was aimed at Senator Jeanne Shaheen, incumbent from the Foley’s home state of New Hampshire.

He was the very best of America…It makes me very sad that people would use the brutality of our son’s death for their own political purposes.

The motive behind the ads is simple. Republicans run their campaigns on a platform of fear. Using the image of James Foley kneeling before his murderer is right up their alley. The group said they have no plans to take the ad down or apologize, because the ad “isn’t controversial.” They did issue a statement that they “meant no harm.”

Of course they meant harm. They meant to harm the intelligence of the American voter by de-focusing them from the issues that matter most in the upcoming midterms, and instead drive their sheep into the voting booths in a panic over issues like ISIS and Ebola.